The priority application claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-370502, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector assembly having attachable and detachable male and female housings improving a locking feeling with a locking arm extending from one side of one of said male and female housings and supported solely at said one side.
2. Description of the Related Art
Connector assemblies having attachable and detachable male and female housings are well known. Both male and female connectors respectively include terminals to be connected. These terminals are connected and disconnected corresponding to attachment and detachment of the connectors. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing such a conventional connector assembly. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view explaining operations and problems of the conventional connector assembly.
As shown in FIG. 6, a male housing 8 in a box-like shape is composed of a locking arm 81 extending from both sides of the housing 8 and supported at both sides, and a pair of guiding ribs 82 projecting from vicinities of both sides of the locking arm 81. A projection 81a projects from a top wall of the locking arm 81. A pushing member 81b in a square button-like shape is mounted on a vicinity of one end of the locking arm 81. On the other hand, a female housing 9 is in a box-like shape having a receiving chamber 93 of which inner diameter is substantially equal to an outer diameter of the male housing 8. A pair of guiding grooves 92 corresponding to the pair of guiding ribs 82 is mounted on the receiving chamber 93. Further, a notch 91b is formed on a part of the receiving chamber 93 corresponding to a shape around the pushing member 81b of the locking arm 81.
When attaching the male housing 8 and the female housing 9 to each other, first the guiding ribs 82 are aligned to the guiding grooves 92. Then, while the pushing member 81b is pushed down to deform downward the locking arm 81 at an upper side thereof, the male housing 8 is inserted into the female housing 9 in a direction shown by an arrow of FIG. 6. At this time, the projection 81a of the locking arm 81 moves forward while contacting a hood of the female housing 9 until locked in a hole (not shown) of the female housing 9. Then, when the projection 81a reaches the hole, the projection 81a is locked in the hole, and the deformed locking arm 81 is restored to be in a normal shape. Resultingly, attaching the male housing 8 to the female housing 9 assembles a connector assembly. In addition, when the attachment is completed, electric wires 84, 94 respectively attached to the male and female housings 8, 9 are electrically connected to each other.
Incidentally, one of prior art documents related to the present invention is JP-A, H11-31554.
In such a connector assembly, a feeling (hereunder referred to as “locking feeling”) to convince that the attachment between the male connector 8 and the female connector 9 is surely completed is important. An operator can confirm the completion of the attachment using the locking feeling as a clue. Therefore, for example, when the locking feeling is obscure, the operator is anxious or tries again, and workability may be reduced.
Accordingly, in such a connector assembly as shown in FIG. 7, the locking arm 81 is supported at both sides 81c, 81d. Being supported at both sides relatively increases a counter-force generated by the locking arm 81, and therefore, a suitable locking feeling is attained.
On the other hand, mounting the pushing member 81b in a vicinity of a rear end (right end in FIG. 7) of the locking arm 81 becomes difficult. The pushing member 81 must be arranged near the center of the locking arm by a specific distance L from the rear end. If the male housing 8 is formed according to the arrangement of the pushing member 81b, the “L” part will project from the male housing 8 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Otherwise if the male housing 8 is formed in a manner that the rear end of the male housing is in the same plane as that of the locking arm 81, this makes the male housing 8 larger and is not preferable.
Further, if the locking arm 81 is supported at both sides, the locking feeling is suitable, however, as the counter-force becomes larger, locking and unlocking operations for attaching the male housing 8 to and detaching from the female housing 9 become more difficult.
In short, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the locking arm 81 supported at both sides has problems that the projection “L” of FIGS. 6, 7 projects outward from the pushing member 81b, and unlocking operation becomes difficult.
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a connector assembly having no projection projecting from a locking arm and giving a locking feeling like that of a locking arm supported at both sides of a connector assembly. Further, another object of this invention is to provide a connector assembly allowing male and female connectors to be attached and detached easily each other and giving a locking feeling like that of a locking arm supported at both sides of a connector assembly.